Clifton wharton clifton



(No Model.) G. W. CLIFTON.

ATTACHMENT FOR TRUNKS.

No. 519,528. Patented May 8, 1894'.

. FIGA MTNESSES: v WA ATTORNEYS.

UNIT D ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

QCLIFTON WHARTON CLIFTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ATTACHMENT FOR TRUNKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,528, dated May 8,1894. Application filed February 8, 1894. Serial Ne. 499,473. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLIFTON WHARTON CLIFTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York city, New York county, New York, haveinvented Improved Attachments for Trunks, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists in certain improvements in the construction ofattachments for trunks of the characterdescribed and claimed in theLetters Patent granted to me August 28, 1888, No. 388,634, the mainobject of my present invention being to simplify the construction andoperation of such attachments, while at the same time making them asstrong as possible.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is,

a perspective view of a trunk provided with my improvements, and Figs.2, 3 and 4 are views drawn to a larger scale to illustrate the improvedfeatures of construction.

In general principle, the present construction of my attachments fortrunks is the same as that of my above mentioned patent, that is to say,there is combined with the trunk opposite frames pivoted to the trunknearthe lower outer corners, whereby the frames can be turned down toserve as supports for the trunk, or be turned up so as to constitutebraces for the same, and by preference each of the said frames comprisesopposite sidebars connected at their outer ends by a transverse bar andsuch frames when raised, engage with catches or clasps of suitable charactor to confine the lid to the body of the trunk.

Referring to Fig. 1, T is the body of the trunk, and L is the lid, bothof which may be of any suitable or convenient construction, and I mayhere observe that my invention is applicable not merely to variousconstruc- I tions of trunks while they are in course of manufacture, butmay be applied to trunks which have already been constructed.

The side-frames A which are pivoted to the lower corners of the trunk,are each composed of opposite side bars a and a connecting cross bar d.The manner of pivoting the side bars to the lower corners of the trunkwill be better understood on reference to the enlarged views, Figs. 2, 3and 4.. There is secured to each corner of the trunk a bearing plate B,

which is preferably in the form of a malleable iron casting provided, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, with teats 1), adapted to engage withcorresponding openings in the frame of the trunk to take the strainofl": the pivots of the in a vertical direction. Asa convenientconstruction for this purpose, I form upon the end of the side-bar a aprojection 5, which constitutes a pivot to be adapted to an opening orbearing 6 in the plate B, and the relative shapes or sizes of the pivot5 and the bearing 6, are such that the pivot can move vertically to alimited extent within the hearing. In the drawings I have shown thepivot as being of an oval shape and the bearing as being of a circularshape of a diameter equal to or larger than, the longaxis of the ovalpivot, so that the latter can, as will be understood by reference toFig. 2, have a limited motion vertically within its hearing. The pivotis, however, retained within its hearing by any suitable means. In thedrawings I have shown a washer 7, secured by riveting or otherwise tothe inner face of the pivot, for this purpose. A sunken recess 1) ispreferably formed on theinner face of the plate B for the reception of.this washer, as shown in Figs..2 and 3, care being taken to make therecess and washer of such relative shapes or diameters as to allow ofthe samevertical play as in the case of the pivot and its hearing. Iprovide these pivoting parts with catches to lock the side frames intheir operative positions as supports.

Each side bar a is provided with a shoulder 8 at such a distance fromits pivot as to conveniently engage at the proper time with either theupper or the lower edge of the plate 13. At one side of this shoulderthere is formed a hook 9 which, when the leg is turned down to the lowerposition as indicated in the drawings, will engage and become lockedwith a.hook or catch 10 on the plate B.

The outer ends of the side-bars a are pro v vided .with suitableprojections a to engage- 7 V in) I with spring catches or clasps O onthe lid when the frames are turned up to brace and lock the trunk. Anywell-known form of snap catches C may be provided on the trunk for thispurpose, as will be readily understood.

Supposing the trunk to be closed and the frames A to be in theirupturned position, and attached to the lid, as shown by full lines atthe left-hand side of Fig. 1, and it is desired to open the trunk andraise and support it upon the legs, it is preferable to proceed in thefollowing manner: First, unclasp the side frame A at one end of thetrunk and allow it to turn down upon its pivot, then lift that end ofthe trunk by the usual hand strap, pushing the outer end of the sideframe under the trunk by means of the foot. The trunk is raised at thatend a little higher than the length of the side-bars a, so that owing tothe play in the pivotal connection between the side bars and bearingplates, the catch or hook 9 can pass beyond the corresponding catch 10upon the pivot plate B: then the raised end of the trunk is lowered tolet-v the bearing plate 13 rest on the'shoulder 8 of the side bar a,with the parts locked together by the hooks or catches 9, 10, as shownin full lines at the right of Fig. l, and in Figs. 2 and 3. The devicesdescribed constitute what I may term an automatic gravity latch, andhold the supports firmly so that braces are unnecessary. Then theoperation is repeated at the other end of the trunk. When it is desiredto lower the trunk again, first one end is slightly raised by means ofthe usual end strap, sufliciently to free the catches 9, 10, as shown inFig. 4, when the end frame A may be pulled out by means of the foot, andturned upon its pivots from the position shown by full lines at theright hand side of Fig. 1, to the position there shown by dotted lines,to clasp the lid. The operation is then repeated at the opposite end ofthe trunk.

As it may he sometimes desirable to open the trunk without turning thesupports a entirely down,'I prefer to provide on the upper edges of thebearing plate 13, shoulders 12 such as to engage with suitable shoulders11, upon the corresponding side-bars a. so as to support the side-bar asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, in a partially turned position,when desired. The side-frames are sufficiently freed from the clasps andthe lid to allow the latter to be turned up on its hinges.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a trunk with side framespivoted thereto near the lower outer corners whereby they can be turneddown to serve as supports for the trunk, and catches near the pivotingpoints to lock the supports in their operative positions, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a trunkwith sidetrames pivoted thereto with a lostmotion and catches on the pivoting parts, constituting a gravity latchto lock the side frames in their turned-down positions to serve assupports for the trunk, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a trunk having hearing plates provided withbearings, with side frames having pivots adapted to said bearin g so asto be free to have a vertical play therein, and engaging catches on theside frames and bearing plates, to constitute a gravity latch,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4:. The combination of a trunk having hearing plates provided withcircular bearings with side frames having oval pivots whose long axesare less than the diameters of the bearings and engaging catches on theplates and frames, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a trunk, having hearing plates, provided withrecessed bearings with side frames having pivots adapted to the bearingswith a lost motion and retaining washers adapted to said recesses withengaging catches on the plates and side frames, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

6. The combination of a trunk, having hearing plates provided withshoulders 12 with side frames pivoted to the said bearing plates andhaving shoulders 11 toen'gage therewith to hold the frames in apartiallyopen position, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a trunk with opposite side frames pivotedtheretonear the lower outer corners, whereby they can beturned down to serve assupports for the trunk or be turned up so as to constitute braces forthe same, and springclasps on the lid to engage with projections on theside frames, substantially as described.

8. Atrunk having bearingplatesprovided with teats to engage the trunkand with bearings in combination with side frames pivoted to saidbearing plates, as andfor the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CLIFTON WHARTON CLIFTON.

Witnesses:

O. W. PARSON, W. MCMAS'IER MILLS.

IIO

